College book -- what to choose?

[ApacheChiefx]

I'd really just like a machine with Windows XP on it, so I don't have to worry about compatibility with any programs I use on my desktop. Also, I want very good battery life 🙂

I looked around Dell, and saw they had a few discounts, but I don't know if I should go with one of theirs or not--having trouble finding battery life stats and such.

Thanks for any suggestions 🙂

 

[TheStu]

OK, so battery life is important, what else is important?

And unless you use incredibly specific software on Windows, then there is no consequence to getting either a linux or OS X based system, especially if it might save you money or yield longer life batteries.

 

[ApacheChiefx]

TheStu, yes it is very specific software on Windows 🙂

Battery life is really the only thing that's too important to me--along with decent speed.

 

[TheStu]

Do you mind my asking what the software is?

Beyond my satisfying my curiosity, I have heard good things about sonys and lenovos getting good battery life. Or get a 9Cell battery for whatever machine you choose, and you should be solid.

 

[soydios]

Get a Lenovo with the biggest battery you can. They still offer Windows XP, and they have a hefty sale going on right now. I'd recommend a T61 or R61.
FYI, I'm writing this on an X61 tablet running Vista. I've got the 8-cell battery, and with the screen at half brightness, a 5400rpm hard drive, WiFi on, Bluetooth off, and all the power-saving options turned on, I'm getting 5 hours of real-world battery life.

 

[ApacheChiefx]

Soydios: That's awesome--I'll definitely look into those.

TheStu: Applications I write for game hacking/games themselves.